Itō Hirobumi 伊藤 博文

225px-ito_hirobumi.jpg
Ito Hirobumi


"if East Asia would not cooperate together like brothers, all would be absorbed into Western countries."
Slogan:
Accept, unite, and prosper

Don't wait until your nation falls back. Accept western civilization and Itō Hirobumi will enhance it to the next level. Let your nation grow with East Asia as a whole. Cooperate together and unify our strengths. Then we will never be cowed by the western nations. The choice is now in your hands. Your nation will either prosper and surpass the other countries or will be absorbed by the western nations by avoiding his rules.


Itō Hirobumi will do his ultimate best to get back your rights and bring in peace and protection. He won't be swayed by other people's criticisms and discouragements. He knows what is right for your nation.


Here is your prime minister, prince, statesmen, and resident-general: Itō Hirobumi.




Beliefs & Ideas

Itō Hirobumi said that "since the government is concerned with the administration of the country as a whole, it does not follow that its acts are always favorable to all individuals." Unlike the society's structure and beliefs back then, he strived for equality and peace. He said that "if East Asia would not cooperate together like brothers, all would be absorbed into Western countries." He also considered religion to be unnecessary. He thought of religion as a factor that will lead to a nation's downfall. Thus, his ideals were often criticized.



Achievements & Experiences
  • 1871 he established Japan's taxation system to finance infrastructure
  • 1886~1889 he supervised the drafting of a constitution
  • 1884 he supervised the preparation of laws
  • 1885 he supervised a modern cabinet system
    SeriesC_1000yen_Banknote_of_Japan-1.jpg
    1000 yen Japanese paper money with Ito Hirobumi at right
  • 1886 he supervised an imperial household ministry
  • 1888 he supervised a privy council
  • he focused on setting up careful checks and balances
  • he learned about the details and justification of the German constitutional system
  • he devised a new political system that was a modern English model of constitutional government
  • he invoked Korea-Japan relations
  • he educated the crown prince
  • his negotiation with Britain made the Western begin to treat Japan as equal
  • 1906 he became resident general of Korea
    An_Jung-geun.JPG
    Ahn Jung Geun
  • 1909 he was assassinated by a Korean nationalist, Ahn Jung Geun





Bibliography

"Itō Hirobumi." N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itō_Hirobumi>.

"Ito Hirobumi, 1841-1909." N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr 2011. <http://www.japanesehistory.de/cabinets/ItoHirobumi.htm>.

"Ito Hirobumi 伊藤博文 (1841-1909)." N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr 2011. <http://www.jref.com/glossary/ito_hirobumi.shtml>.